2016 SourceBook and MarketPlace are taking strides along the Winding Road

About

The Winding Road

Ohio’s Rising Appalachia

The Winding Road is an emerging brand that represents a collaboration of social and business entrepreneurs who seek to develop a regional economy based on authentic assets surrounding the natural, cultural, historical, arts, local foods, well-being, education and geotourism business landscapes (sectors) in the Hocking and Muskingum Valleys of Ohio’s Hill Country in southeastern Ohio.

The brand aims to contribute to a quality of life that attracts and sustains creative young people as stewards of the economy and environment while respecting and building upon the region’s rich tradition of unique contributions to the greater culture.

In its initial stages, The Winding Road is represented by a SourceBook of guided experiences that share these assets with fellow citizens and geotourists, establishing commerce around this effort and stimulating entrepreneurial initiatives to build a critical mass of activity that sustains this collaboration and its desired outcomes.

The catalog takes the form of a periodic print publication, as well as a dynamic web site that offers a booking/purchasing feature for events, tours, experiences and products. The catalog is a product of Ohio’s Hill Country Heritage Area, a non-profit organization based in Shawnee, Ohio.

Emerging Key Concepts That Guide The Winding Road SourceBook

The Winding Road SourceBook is committed about promoting experiences and products that are…

—educational and interpretive.

—presented by knowledgeable, trained guides and local experts.

—highlighting regional assets & a “Rising Appalachia”.

—integrated with stewardship of the environment, civic life, historic treasures

and local economic systems

—inclusive of the arts, theater, music.

—engaged with locally sourced foods and products.

—supportive of “humanities consideration” of our provocative story and its

As we create a sense of place around The Winding Road, we are looking for short articles with high quality photographs and or art work to highlight places, peoples and stories of the region that relate to our key sectors of interest.

Who Is The Audience/Customers?

The Winding Road initiative is much more than just attracting business and making sales. It’s about carefully sharing and caring for our authentic and unique assets in southeastern Ohio and reinforcing a building a sense of place where history, arts, the environment, outdoor activity, local foods, youth, education, civic activity and entrepreneurship are valued. Thus our audience is consumers of the above products, but it’s also everyone who has an interest in this region—local residents, civic leaders, and yes, of course, geotourists.

What Do You Mean by Geotourists?

Geotourists are tourists who have a keen interest in the assets, challenges, customs and civic life of a “place”. They are committed to leaving the place as they found it, or better than they found it. They tend to be curious, socially concerned individuals who show a high degree of respect for local citizens. They aren’t looking to just be entertained, but seek authentic stories, people and experiences that help them understand, connect and contribute to the place they are visiting. Often they become part of the place or a particular effort by staying involved.

What Areas in Appalachian Ohio Are Considerer Part of The Winding Road?

We are focused on the Hocking and Muskingum River Valleys of southeastern Ohio. Our initial effort started as Morgan, Athens and Perry Counties, but we are not limited to these counties. We welcome activities from A to Z (Athens to Zanesville) and beyond. Once successful, Ohio Hill Country will assist with the replication of this effort in other sub-regions.

What About Folks Who Can’t Afford to Purchase Our Experiences

We live and work in a part of the world that is not known for high household incomes. We don’t want to exclusively be catering to monied people, although we recognize a need to transfer wealth to our region by selling products that don’t compromise our landscapes, but enhance our local economy. Thus, we will work to include scholarships and discount pricing for customers upon request, and our on-line catalog will link local residents and visitors to free and low cost attractions that might not be included in the print catalog.

Will This be Only a Printed SourceBook?

First, (a) printed version(s) of the catalog will be created for 2016. But, it doesn’t stop there. It includes a web version, social media posting and shared advertising of the catalog/brand via other media such as public radio, the Columbus Dispatch, Hocking Hills Tourism Association, etc.

Submitting Listings for Inclusion in

The Winding Road SourceBook

Letter of Interest

Persons, businesses and organizations interested in having an event, tour, program or experience listed in the print version of 2016 Winding Road SourceBook should submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) no later than